byStuart WeirThis is the second piece on Sunday’s championship events. Twelve events in two hours! Was that fun! Stuart Weir did this piece on the hurdles.
Andy Pozzi, photo by European Athletics
Wilhelm Belocian, photo by European Athletics
Sprint hurdles
Nadine Visser, photo by European Athletics
Nadine Visser (Netherlands) was the favorite for the women’s 60m hurdles and she duly delivered. She went into the race on the back of 11 indoor races this year, of which she had won eight and with the best time of 7.81. She showed that she meant business with 7.86 in the semi-final and 7.77 in the final.
Cindy Sember, Nadine Visser, photo by European Athletics
The former heptathlete and reigning European indoor champion said: “I am happy and relieved. It is nice to run fast times again, my PR was from some years ago. I secretly hoped to run a time like this and thought that would be fantastic. Now I just did it. I had confidence that I could do this. I was already in shape before the champs but I am really happy to do it in the final. The pressure of the final helps me. I am lucky. I am happy to be at a championship after a year like this. Indeed, the Dutch Team is doing well, that is a motivation for all of us and then we do even better. We have a great program and great facilities”.
Wilhelm Belocian, photo by European Athletics
The men’s race needed a photograph to separate Wilhem Belocian (France) and Andrew Pozzi (GB). Belocian’s 7.42 gave him victory by one-hundredth of a second over the reigning World indoor and former European champion.
Wilhelm Belocian, photo by European Athletics
Belocian commented: “I am very happy. My first title at senior level means a lot to me. And to run a PR in the final of the European Championships is great. This title means so much to me because I struggled a lot with injuries in the past. I can’t tell you how the race went, I just knew that I owned the race”.
Andrew Pozzi, photo by European Athletics
Pozzi, whose preparation had been hampered by injury, said: “It’s an equal PR. I was actually doing really well at the start, I just lost a couple of steps in the middle. It’s a championship and the better man won today, so it is what it is. I’m a bit disappointed, but I gave it everything I could. I’m definitely in the best shape of my life. The timing wasn’t perfect, but I’ve run two incredibly fast times and I managed to equal my PR, so it’s just accepting that the result is the result”.
Andrew Pozzi, photo by European Athletics
